Siburan shoplot tenant jailed 6 months for power theft, landlord gets DNAA

Borneo Post

2 days ago

KUCHING (July 24): The Sessions Court here today sentenced an unemployed man to six months in prison for stealing electricity to power cryptocurrency mining machines at a rented shoplot.
Judge Saiful Bahari Adzmi convicted Hii King Lee, 49, on his own guilty plea to a charge under Section 33(5) of the Electricity Ordinance (Chapter 50), which provides for a fine not exceeding RM200,000 or imprisonment for up to five years, or both.
Hii, from Miri, committed the offence at a commercial shop lot in Siburan, Jalan Kuching-Serian at around 10.50am on June 21, 2023.
Based on the facts of the case, a team of inspectors from Syarikat Sesco Berhad were conducting routine inspections of electricity meters at the commercial premises when they detected direct-tapping cables connected from the main wirings that bypassed the electricity meter.
Further checks found 60 cryptocurrency mining machines connected directly via the direct-tapping cables, all of which bypassed the electricity meter.
It was informed that Hii is currently serving a six-month jail sentence for power theft linked to cryptocurrency mining activities, after he was convicted on July 11 this year at the Miri Sessions Court.
The accused is also currently facing several drug-related cases and corruption cases in Miri.
Deputy public prosecutor Ronald Felix Hardin of the State Attorney-General's Chambers handled the prosecution, while Hii was unrepresented.
Meanwhile in the same courtroom, Chang Foh Foong, 53, the landlord who rented the shoplot to Hii, was jointly charged with the same offence but was given a discharge not amounting to an acquittal (DNAA).
His lawyer Michael Kong in a statement to the press after the proceedings said his client maintained that he had no role in the offence committed by his tenant.
'After considering the circumstances and lack of direct involvement, the charges against the landlord were withdrawn, and the court granted him a DNAA,' he said.
Kong said his client's only mistake was renting the premises to the wrong tenant and failing to transfer ownership of the electricity meter from his name to the tenant's after the tenancy agreement was signed.
'This incident should serve as a serious reminder to all property owners to always ensure that the name on your electricity meter reflects the current user or tenant.
'Failing to do so may expose you to criminal liability even if you had no involvement in any wrongdoing,' he added.
Kong urged landlords and property managers to be vigilant and proactive in managing their tenancy agreements.
'It is not just about protecting your rights, but also safeguarding yourself from unnecessary legal consequences.'